President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged that the curiosity and welfare of the residents of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger stay a precedence for the leaders of ECOWAS.
The President made this comment on Wednesday throughout a gathering with the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was on a state go to to the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He careworn that knowledge and diplomacy can be key to reintegrating these nations into the regional physique.
Tinubu, who serves as Chairman of ECOWAS, identified that the management of the three nations had been reluctant to current transition programmes with clear timelines.
“Our relationship of mutual respect will proceed as we reassess the scenario within the three nations. What I can guarantee you is that we’ll not tolerate unconstitutional governments,” he mentioned.
“We are going to proceed to steer by instance. Now we have harmless residents who’re victims of army rule. We are going to proceed to discover diplomatic channels with out punishing harmless individuals.”
“We are going to enable free motion and commerce. Though the transition programme stays unsure, we won’t punish harmless residents as they don’t maintain energy,” Tinubu added.
The President assured the German chief that ECOWAS would depart the door open for the return of democracy within the affected nations.
“That is what ECOWAS stands for. No matter is going on in these nations, we stay aware of the well-being of the residents.”
“I don’t wish to personalise the problems as ECOWAS Chairman. We are going to hold the door open for collaboration,” he concluded.
In response, the German President highlighted that the reintegration of the three nations would considerably affect each the financial system and safety of the West African area.
“We are going to talk about bilateral and regional points. Now we have already met with the President of the ECOWAS Fee. We perceive the significance of regional cooperation, and as a part of the European Union, we recognise the challenges,” mentioned Steinmeier.
“For Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, there are critical safety and financial penalties if we don’t proceed to work collectively. We perceive why ECOWAS is prioritising diplomacy.”
“It’s not a simple job, however it’s essential to use diplomacy to keep up unity inside the fee and the area.”
“Whereas pursuing diplomatic means to convey Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to rethink their place, additionally it is essential to have emergency plans in place for future financial cooperation,” he suggested.
NAN